That GOOD GOOD Around the Web: Africa Edition

One of my all-time favorite brands, LAURENCEAIRLINE, recently released some stunning images from their S/S 2013 collection. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with this brand, LAURENCEAIRLINE is a men’s clothing line based out of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. What makes this brand so special is its dedication to creating job opportunities in Abidjan amidst the aftermath of the humanitarian and political crisis in the Ivory Coast. Below are a couple of my favorite images - you can view the rest of them on the brand’s facebook page.

www.laurenceairline.com

Alec Lomami is a Congolese musician whose effortless fusion of indie pop & French hip-hop has secured his position in the burgeoning realm of African hip-pop music. His unique sound has also given him recognition on sites such as MTV Iggy, Okayafrica, and Fader. He recently released the video for his song “Kinshasa”, remixed by Danish music producer CHLLNGR. The original song was written by Alec during his 9 month detainment in an American immigration jail while he awaited a decision on his application for asylum. It’s quite riveting to see how such beauty can be born out of such a trying time, but is that not the mark of a true artist?

I recently came across the absolutely breathtaking work of Nigerian artist, Njideka Akunyili. Through the use of charcoal, ink, acrylic, xerox transfers, lace and paper collage on paper, Njideka creates poignant images which touch on matters of great importance to her, such as the interracial love she shares with her husband. In her own words, “My art addresses my internal tension between my deep love for Nigeria, my country of birth, and my strong appreciation for Western culture, which has profoundly influenced both my life and my art. I use my art as a way to negotiate my seemingly contradictory loyalties to both my cherished Nigerian culture that is currently eroding and to my white American husband.” 

www.njidekaakunyili.com

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Pencil Art by T.S Abe

I recently came across some stunning pencil artwork created by T.S Abe, a 22 year old artist based out of the UK. Her work is captivating, to say the very least; there is clear intention in every single pencil stroke. I am especially taken by her fine attention to detail and her ability to capture the human face so brilliantly. Below are some of my favorite pieces from her.

www.tsabe.co.uk

Places To Go: Ale et Ange

Ale et Ange is a lovely 2 year old pop-up store founded by Osoré Ale Oyagha & Eloise Ange Simonet in New York, NY. I’ve been following the store’s tumblr for nearly a year now and I'm always so impressed by the photos of the merchandise this store sells. Eloise & Osore are brilliant designers, and their store offers well-made staple pieces such as button-down shirts, tees, and dresses as well as accessories such as hats and scarves. Ale et Ange is also known for their amazing hats, composed of vibrant ankara fabric. Ale et Ange's clientele isn't too shabby either. Who shops here, you ask? None other than my favorite musician, the very dapper Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def).

I think this might be Asher Roth. Can anyone confirm? (lol)

www.aleetange.com

This post wouldn't be quite complete without a few Mos Def tunes: 

Foundation  |  The Panties  |  Auditorium  |  Worker's Comp

Songs I Currently Have On Repeat

Here are some of the songs that have been on heavy repeat for me lately. Some are fairly new, some are a bit old. Just click on the little play buttons and/or the songs and they will play in the little media player located in the bottom left corner of your screen. If the songs do not play, just refresh your screen and try again.

Lonely Town by fLako feat. Dirg Gerner

I recently came across this amazing London-based producer by the name of fLako. It was love at first listen, to say the least. The above song really resonated with me; I love the mellow beat and the simple yet poignant lyrics. Another song from fLako that really captured my attention is his remix of Ez Up, originally by Slum Village. His take on the song is too smooth!

Ain't That Peculiar (Remix) by Oddisee
Oddisee is amazing, ‘tis all. I love what he did with this Marvin Gaye classic. Make sure you check out his mixtape, Odd Renditions, which consists of Oddisee’s remixes of Bon Iver’s “Paralyzed”, Metronomy’s “The Gold Is Mine” and K-Os's “Man I Use To Be”.

Deeper by THEESatisfaction
I absolutely LOVE this duo! THEESatisfaction’s music is absolutely gorgeous; it caresses the soul. Their sound is so smooth and has a great deal of depth. My mind can’t help but to travel back to Floetry when I listen to these 2, and that is definitely not a bad thing. You can listen to THEESatisfaction’s entire album, Awe Naturale, by clicking here. 

Patiently, We Bloom by Diggs Duke
Diggs Duke is such a fantastic artist in every sense of the word. This song is a perfect example of his wide range of talents; all of the vocals and instruments in the track were performed by him. 

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The Coiffure Project

The Coiffure Project is a brilliant portrait series created by Baltimore-based photographer Glenford Nunez which captures the boundless beauty and effortless elegance of natural hair. I love the idea of this series and I tip my hat to Mr. Nunez for capturing such amazing shots. To see more of the project and to follow its growth, click here.

www.trustyourphotographer.com

Herds of the Fathers: The Old Raritan Collection

Herds of the Fathers, a New Jersey-based brand which specializes in leather goods and accessories for men, is one of my favorite brands that I have had the privilege of featuring on this blog. A couple of days ago, the brand announced the official release of a new line of products entitled The Old Raritan Collection. I cannot help but to be in awe of the fine craftsmanship put into this company’s products and the overall quality of the company itself. It truly shows when business owners fully invest their hearts and souls into their work, and that is exactly what Tobi Babajide and Jason Akoi have done with Herds of the Fathers.

Such great attention was given to every detail of the products in The Old Raritan Collection. From the lush paisley print lining the inside of the bags, to the carved wooden tags adorning each product; it is clear that Tobi and Jason really took their time to produce exceptional goods for you all to enjoy. I was able to catch up with Tobi (photoed directly below) and ask him a couple of questions about the new line. His responses to my questions accompany these gorgeous photos from the lookbook for The Old Raritan Collection. Enjoy!

“This line is more of a collection than the previous line. When you look at the products you will see instantly what we were trying to achieve.”
  

“These are pieces that an average person would use in a  day to day routine, pieces that anyone can carry and pair-able with any look and you don't have to be stylish or trendy to use any of the products.”

“The inspiration behind the collection name "Old Raritan Collection" is a reflection of where we went school and the birthplace of our company. We wanted all our collections from here on out to have roots.”

“When a customer purchases a bag, 10 years down the line they will know exactly what collection it was a part of.”

www.herdsofthefathers.com

A Yellow Man

I’m sure you all remember Chioma Wodu, a lovely young lady that I featured some time ago. In her ‘She’s Got That Good Good’ feature, I included the introductory video to the group she is a part of called A Yellow Man.

After that post went up, I received e-mails from several of my readers asking where they could find more of A Yellow Man’s music. At the time, the group was still in the process of working on their upcoming EP. However, I am extremely excited to announce that this dynamic trio has now graced us with 2 amazing videos for 2 absolutely incredible songs entitled My Lyrics Are Alive and 3000 Miles Of Youth. The first track, My Lyrics Are Alive, is phenomenal; the profound lyrics and production are spot on as well as the cinematography (not to mention the awesome clothes that these 3 are rocking in this video). 3000 Miles Of Youth is an equally amazing song with an extremely well thought out video that complements the depth of the track so seamlessly. Much respect goes to Paul Akinrinlola, the brilliant director of both of these videos. I really love the hopeful message A Yellow Man chose to convey in their music. It is absolutely refreshing to listen to music that sounds dope while having so much substance. Be sure to 'like' their facebook group & to follow them on twitter to keep up with all their new releases!

A Yellow Man, you 3 have most definitely got that good good.